Temple B'nai Sholom (

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

from

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

as "Children of Peace") is an historic

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, located at 103 Lincoln Street SE, in

Huntsville Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, in the United States. Founded as a congregation on July 30, 1876, the current synagogue building was dedicated on November 26, 1899. It is the oldest synagogue building in continuous use in the state.

History

In its early years, the congregation struggled to furnish their rented room at the Masonic Lodge in time for the

High Holidays In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, th ...

in 1876. Members who fell behind on their dues were suspended and their names published in the nationally circulated ''

American Israelite ''The American Israelite'' is an English-language Jewish newspaper published weekly in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1854 as ''The Israelite'' and assuming its present name in 1874, it is the longest-running English-language Jewish newspaper sti ...

''. Of the congregation's 32 founding members in 1876, only 15 were still contributing members by 1878; 11 had been suspended for failure to pay dues. The congregation employed full-time rabbis from the 1890s until 1913, but was without a resident rabbi for 50 years until 1963. It has maintained full-time rabbinic leadership ever since. Beginning in the 1950s, the arrival of new residents associated with NASA and the space program and the many Army commands headquartered in Huntsville led to a growth in membership at Temple B'nai Sholom, and a revitalization of the congregation. The brick building was designed by R.H. Hunt in the

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

style and built between in 18981899. The building was listed on the

Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage (ARLH), commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These pr ...

on July 29, 1977; and is a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

located within the Hunstville Old Town Historic District, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on July 18, 1978. The building was extensively renovated in 1994. In 2017, Temple B'nai Sholom opened the Jewish Heritage Center, a permanent exhibit that shares the Jewish community's history and many contributions to Huntsville's cultural and civic life. Museum tours are available to the public.

References

External links

* 1876 establishments in Alabama 19th-century synagogues in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Alabama Jewish organizations established in 1876 Jews and Judaism in Appalachia National Register of Historic Places in Huntsville, Alabama Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Reform synagogues in Alabama Synagogues completed in 1899 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places 1899 establishments in Alabama Romanesque Revival synagogues Romanesque Revival architecture in Alabama {{Alabama-stub

History

See also

References

External links